Sign up for Summer Reading!

Did you know that kids can lose up to three months worth of learning over the course of summer vacation?

Educators call it summer slide, and it’s a good portion of the reason that some kids fall behind at school.

But not all hope is lost; the best defense against summer slide is recreational summer reading. And of course, your local library is just the place to go to get your kids (and yourself!) involved in a good book.

Kids can sign up for summer reading any time before August 17 at the library. They’ll get a welcome packet with two bingo cards, a voucher for a Sea Dogs ticket, and two scratch n’ sniff bookmarks that we couldn’t couldn’t resist ordering (they come in scents like nachos and vanilla ice cream!).

You’ll notice that the kids’ summer reading packs do not contain a spreadsheet for kids to record what they’re reading and how long they’ve spent reading each day. Research has shown that these kinds of reading logs discourage reading (which seems obvious, but it’s nice that people care enough to do research on these kinds of things, so I won’t complain).

There’s also nothing in our packets that indicate which kinds of reading count towards summer reading prizes. That’s because any reading counts. It’s important that kids have the freedom to read what they enjoy, even if that’s hours of Pokémon cards or Diary of a Wimpy Kid for the hundredth time.

You can sign up little ones who aren’t reading on their own yet; any time you spend reading aloud to kids of any age builds literacy skills. And even two-year-olds love a good scratch-n-sniff bookmark.

A very big thank you to our generous Summer Reading sponsors: Wannawaf, the Downeast Ice Cream Factory, Sarah’s Scoops, and Finn McCools have all donated kiddie cones; Cameron Clan Kettle Corn is hooking us up with delicious, all-natural popcorn; and Dolphin Mini Golf and the Boothbay Railway Village have donated grand prizes. Thank you for partnering to support youth literacy!

Finally, we didn’t want to leave all of the fun to the kids, so we have an adult summer reading game going on too. Submit a six word book review (that’s a book review in just six words) and you’ll be eligible to win a book-themed mug (works for coffee or tea!).

In somewhat unrelated news, did you hear that a big shark was spotted off the coast of Boothbay? And we’d already planned to show “Jaws” this Friday, which just feels like fate. If you haven’t seen a movie with us on the lawn yet, this is a great one to start with. Film starts at 8 p.m., bring a blanket, a lawn chair, and a friend to grab on to!

Also, be sure to catch the artwork of John and Lynne Seitzer, our July artists of the month. They’re displaying the illustrations for a children’s book they completed with a friend. We have the book downstairs in the children’s room, and it’s been a hit with our story hour crowds.

Enjoy your July and see you soon.

Upcoming events

Inner Peace as a Way of Life: Janet Kathleen Ettele talk and how-to on developing mindfulness for a more peaceful way of life. Wednesday, July 25, 5 p.m.

Storytime Picnic: Thursdays, Harold Clifford Playground, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Friday Story Hour: Hear a story, make a craft, and sing a song with Miss Pam and Miss Harolyn. 10:15 a.m., ages birth to 5.

One-on-One Tech Help: Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m., Wednesdays 6-7 p.m., and Saturdays 1-2 p.m. Call 633-3112 or email desiree@bbhlibrary.org to make an appointment.

Fair Weather Films: “Jaws,” Library Lawn, Friday, July 20, 8 p.m.

T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets: After-hours dramatic recitation. Refreshments at 6:30 p.m., performance begins at 7 p.m. Tickets required and available at the library or by calling 633-3112.